It is generally known to divide a space provided within a work environment into one or more work spaces. According to such known arrangements, the work spaces may be further divided or otherwise arranged to create one or more work areas for use by individual workers or groups of workers who may be engaged in individual or group activities. It is also generally known to reconfigure such work areas within the work spaces by arrangement of one or more articles of furniture, such as panel walls, screens, worksurfaces (e.g., display surfaces, tables, display boards, etc.), storage units (e.g., closets, cabinets, filing systems, etc.), seating products, etc. in a manner intended to support workers in a wide variety of individual and group activities.
The dynamic work environment, characterized by a need for flexibility, reconfigurable work areas and an ability to support a wide variety of activities of both individual workers and project teams of varying sizes, has recently grown in prevalence. The dynamic work environment typically includes mobile articles of furniture. Individual and team spaces in the dynamic work environment are ideally capable of rapid configuration and reconfiguration by the workers themselves or by rearrangement of such mobile articles of furniture to support a variety of individual or group activities.
It is known to provide for a partition to provide physical space division or visual privacy in a work environment. For example, partition wall arrangements are well-known for use in a work environment to form work spaces and work areas. However, such known partition wall arrangements effectively "define" the work environment and associated work spaces in a semi-permanent manner after being installed (i.e., it is not readily possible for the workers themselves to reconfigure the work environment using such known partition wall arrangements). As a result, such known partition wall arrangements are not typically well-suited for use in a dynamic work environment.
According to other known arrangements, mobile structures (such as hanging panels or freestanding panels) may be used to provide physical space division or visual privacy in a work environment. However, such known structures typically must be stowed or put aside when not in use, which occupies space within the work environment that could possibly be used for more productive worker activity. Moreover, such mobile structures may not provide a suitable level of visual privacy when installed.
According to still other known arrangements, screens may be used to provide physical space division or visual privacy in a work environment. Known screens are typically floorstanding and may be characterized by a lightweight construction. Such known screens may have folding panel sections or may be made of one or more rigidly connected panel sections. However, such known screens are typically not designed for convenient storage or association with other articles of furniture within the work environment.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a screen for dividing space and offering visual privacy in a work environment that may be selectively mounted to an article of furniture. It would also be advantageous to provide a screen having a generally flexible frame and supported by a generally horizontal surface, such that the screen can readily be used to form work spaces of a variety of sizes and configurations or provide visual privacy in a work environment. It would further be advantageous to provide a method for selectively configuring a screen for compact storage in a work environment by deforming the shape of the screen. It would still further be advantageous to provide a method for selectively configuring a screen for use in a work environment by deforming the shape of the screen. It would also be advantageous to provide a method for providing selective privacy in a work environment by installing a screen on an article of furniture and positioning the screen.